Prior art with which applicant is familiar is U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,936, and the patents cited therein. While U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,936 discloses a method of cutting submerged well equipment and retrieving it from a water covered area in one operation, such invention contemplates positioning the spear within the well equipment to be cut while such cutting operation is performed and prior to completion of the cut.
In some situations, it may be undesirable to position the spear or engaging tool within the submerged well equipment which is to be cut and retrieved before such cutting is completed. For example, in some circumstances it may be necessary to interrupt such operation and retrieve the spear to the surface of the water covered area due to weather conditions or other conditions. Also, it is desired to have a minimum amount of equipment within the tubular member and associated well equipment while it is being severed, so that if it is necessary to disengage from such tubular member and associated well equipment, such disengagement may be made rapidly, or in a manner so as to lessen the likelihood of sticking the well string within the tubular member and well equipment thereby necessitating further fishing or cutting operations.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for cutting and retrieving a tubular member and associated well equipment on the submerged floor of a water covered area wherein only the cutting tool is positioned in the well equipment while the cutting operation is being effected.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for cutting and retrieving well equipment from the submerged surface in a water covered area wherein a well string is lowered into the water covered area including a cutting tool at the lower end of the well string, a rotary swivel for resting on the well equipment while the cut is being performed, and a spear or engaging tool on the well tool in spaced relation above the swivel for subsequent positioning within the well equipment to retrieve it.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for cutting and retrieving well equipment from the submerged surface in a water covered area wherein a well string is lowered into the water covered area including a cutting tool at the lower end of the well string, a rotary swivel for resting on the well equipment while the cut is being performed, and a spear or engaging tool on the well tool in spaced relation above the swivel and wherein the swivel is constructed and arranged so that it may be collapsed to enable it to be lowered into the well equipment along with the spear thereabove after the cut has been performed whereby the spear may be engaged with the severed well equipment for retrieving it to the surface of the submerged water covered area along with the well string.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings.